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Black Boxes – Anna Klonowski – Appendix 9 – Notes of the Charging Policy Working Group 22/8/2005

STRICTLY CONFIDENTIAL – NOT FOR PUBLICATION Appendix 9 Notes of the Charging Policy Working Group Charging Policy Consultation Notes of a meeting held on 22nd August 2005 Westminster House, Birkenhead Present XXXXXXXXXXXX(older people’s representative) XXXXXXXXXX(service user/carer representative) XXXXXXXXXXXX(service user/carer representative) A representative of Wirral MIND gave apologies XXXXXXXXX– Advocacy Services Councillor Pat Williams(Lib Dem) Councillor … Continue reading “Black Boxes – Anna Klonowski – Appendix 9 – Notes of the Charging Policy Working Group 22/8/2005”

STRICTLY CONFIDENTIAL – NOT FOR PUBLICATION

Appendix 9

Notes of the Charging Policy Working Group

Charging Policy Consultation

Notes of a meeting held on 22nd August 2005

Westminster House, Birkenhead

Present

XXXXXXXXXXXX(older people’s representative)

XXXXXXXXXX(service user/carer representative)

XXXXXXXXXXXX(service user/carer representative)

A representative of Wirral MIND gave apologies

XXXXXXXXX– Advocacy Services

Councillor Pat Williams(Lib Dem)

Councillor (Lab)

Councillor (Con)

XXXXXXXXXX(Assistant Director Finance & Support Services)

XXXXXXXXXXX(Business & performance Manager)

XXXXXXXXXX(Client Financial Services Manager)

Purpose

The purpose of the meeting was to consult with party spokespersons and a number of representatives of users and carers on Wirral’s charging policy for social care services delivered to people in their own homes. It is intended the outcome of this and other consultations will be presented to the Health and Social Care Select Committee prior to recommending to Cabinet any revisions to the Charging Policy as directed by Cabinet in March 2005.

Process

XXXXXXXXX (XXX) gave a presentation (attached) which outlined the type of services the Council charges for and how they are calculated. The presentation

STRICTLY CONFIDENTIAL – NOT FOR PUBLICATION

went on to explain why the Council believed the changes to the policy were necessary and what options might be considered.

The Group asked questions during the presentation and these are recorded in the attached table. The Group did not intend to make any specific recommendations to Council but agreed to review these notes and make subsequent representations as were considered appropriate.

It was recognised that not all client groups were adequately represented and XXX gave assurance there would be other processes to ensure as many people as possible were consulted prior to Cabinet making a decision on future charges.

STRICTLY CONFIDENTIAL – NOT FOR PUBLICATION

Economy and Regeneration Overview and Scrutiny Committee 16/1/2011 Part 3 Peel presentation on Wirral Waters

Cllr Denise Realey asked if it was true they would have tidal power by 2020?

Mr. Mawdsley said that was incorrect, they had finished the feasibility study, settled on a location, technology and costed it. The total cost came to £3.5 billion for 720 MWh of power. It would last for one hundred and twenty years, but financial models only went over twenty-five years and this had a break even point at the thirty year mark. He said pension funds would have to take a long-term view, it was a green project, but they were sitting on their hands waiting for government and overseas investors. It was now over to government if it happened….

Cllr Andrew Hodson said he had done really well and he’d found the presentation interesting. Would there really be occupation next year?

Mr. Mawdsley from Peel said the remediation would run from March to November. The site needed cleaning up as it was a remnant of the industrial heritage. They also needed to investigate the geotechnical conditions. Once this was done they would build the first phase, however they needed tenants as well as to secure a loan for 50% of the capital costs.

Cllr Andrew Hodson asked if they had got the money to start construction?

Mr. Mawdsley said they had got 50% and were hoping to get the other 50% in a bank loan.

Cllr Hodson asked if they could start with just 50%?

The person from Peel said it was a joint venture and they had already put in £5-£6 million. It was difficult getting a loan from a UK bank, so they were speaking to the Bank of China.

Cllr Hodson referred to Peel’s assets of £6 billion. Cllr Stuart Kelly said he never failed to be impressed by the sheer scale, but he had his eye on the fact he’d like to see bricks and building of this long-term project. He said the other issues were there’d be a shift in the business and retail centre on the periphery. Chinese and Far East companies would have good links to the rest of the country, but was there anything they should be doing about infrastructure? High Speed 2 wasn’t enough in our direction and there was the whole mess that is the M6.

Peel responded by saying that the International Trade Centre would be a springboard into the UK and Europe. The fact it was close to the port was essential, where it was, was pretty good with the motorway and public transport. What was important was connections to London, ideally there would be a direct mainline station to Euston, but that was not going to happen. However you could get from Liverpool Lime Street to the Wirral quickly and it was very well-connected. If it was connected to Lime Street through a disused tunnel to the dock there could be a feeder service.

Cllr Tony Cox asked about the proposed automotive and rail businesses and whether they were close enough to their target market for example Vauxhall Motors?

Economy and Regeneration Overview and Scrutiny Committee 16/1/2011 Part 2 Peel presentation on Wirral Waters

Mr. Mawdlsey went into detail about what would be in the “neighbourhood areas”. Part of it would be residential, with high density families called Sky City. They also hoped to have an area for corporate headquarters, studios, small and medium sized enterprises and a civic/educational hub. There would be a channel for large vessels as well as a marina park. Peel were also leaving an opportunity for a large cultural building. He showed various CGI images. The planning application in 2009 was for 13,500 residential units, which would hopefully create 20,000+ new jobs, but it would take 30+ years to build it.

The planning application had not been called in and the area was now part of the Mersey Waters Enterprise Zone. The next steps were getting occupiers in 2012 in the areas of cultural, commercial, educational and manufacturing. They wanted to secure both local and international occupiers.

On green infrastructure the Forestry Commission had pledged £1.4 million for tree planting. They were also looking for funding to extend the tram network. The first phase of the project was the Hydraulic Tower and the International Trade Centre. They wanted to have hotels, services offices, education as well as an automotive or rail supplier. The focus would initially be at the Four Bridges end.

The trams had the potential to be extended, which was “cheap and cheerful”. They would gift the land to the operators of a disused railway line and already had apprentices working on it.

The Peel International Trade Centre had come about from their sponsorship of the Shanghai Expo in 2010. The ITC would include four buildings, each with up to a thousand companies showcasing their products to trade buyers. There would be a series of showrooms in a large box. They had visited a trade centre in China with sixty thousand tenants called Yiwu City. They were working on the funding strategy and as part of the first phase had entered into a joint venture with Stella Shiu who would contribute fifty percent of the capital costs.

They were now in talks with the Bank of China for a loan for the other 50%. In March 2012 they would start remediation of the former industrial site and hoped that the first tenants would be occupying in early 2013. They had entered a new phase of work, in a difficult economic climate they were trying to take the small steps to get the catalytic occupiers. The strong government support they had received so far they needed to continue. He thanked people for listening.

The Chair asked if people had any questions.

Cllr Pat Hackett said he had a simple question, it was a massive piece of real estate, what were the processes for acquiring businesses if they didn’t want to move? What were the processes for relocating businesses on the dock estate?

Mr. Mawdsley said most of the land was already vacant, however the steel business was important to the local economy. Since gaining planning permission they were working with the businesses on the dock estate. However for some it could be five or ten years before they needed to move. They would look at their needs and help them move, but it was an ongoing dialogue.

Economy and Regeneration Overview and Scrutiny Committee 16/1/2011 Part 1 Peel presentation on Wirral Waters (johnbrace.com)

Economy and Regeneration Overview and Scrutiny Committee 16/1/2011 Part 1 Peel presentation on Wirral Waters

Present:

Cllr Tony Cox
Cllr stuart Kelly
Cllr Gerry Ellis
Cllr Mark Johnston
Cllr Andrew Hodson
Cllr Denise Realey
Cllr Steve Niblock
Cllr Pat Hackett
Cllr Stuart Wittingham

Cllr Mark Johnston wished people a happy New Year. He asked for any declarations of interest. Cllr Steve Niblock declared a personal and prejudicial interest in item 5 (Outcome of Wirral’s Housing Market Renewal Transitional Funding Bid) as he lives in a Housing Market Renewal Initiative area.

Cllr Mark Johnston asked a question on the minutes, specifically about page 4 item 29. He asked if the information had been released?

Kevin Adderley said that the Department for Work and Pensions had not changed its approach and the information was embargoed as confidential. The minutes were agreed.

Cllr Mark Johnston said that as Lindsay Ashworth was in China, instead the presentation would be given by Richard Mawdsley instead. Richard Mawdsley introduced himself as the Project director for the Wirral Waters project which encompassed the Mersey Waters Enterprise Zone and the Peel International Trade Centre.

He gave those present some background to Peel, describing it as an asset rich, cash poor company with a brief description of its various divisions which included the Trafford Centre and a stake in Pinewood Studios. Mr. Mawdsley also referred to the wind turbines on the Mersey and Peel’s plans for power from a Mersey tidal barrage.

Media City UK in Salford Quays was given as an example of a completed regeneration project involving a docks area. He offered to show officers and councillors a tour to show them the site. The BBC had relocated to Media City in Salford Quays who he described as a “catalytic occupier”. He said that people had been sceptical that they could deliver the Trafford Centre but they had.

He explained Peel’s Ocean Gateway and Atlantic Gateway projects including a map showing the land owned by Peel. Peel’s projects were in three areas which were regeneration, transport & logistics and sustainable technologies. In 2005 they had bought the Mersey Docks and Harbour Company. The Liverpool Waters project had raised issues related to their World Heritage Status.

Mr. Mawdsley showed those present an aerial photo of the three miles of Wirral dock land. This covered the East Float, West Float, Bidston and Twelve Quays. The Bidston area was going to be a centre for leisure and retail. They would start the concept of the design in the Summer. The area had good motorway links and a underutilised railway line. He pointed out the polarised situation of house prices on the Wirral, with an East vs West divide.

Cllr Peter Kearney arrived.

Mr. Mawdlsey said they had gone “back to the drawing board” in 2006, with consultation with stakeholders and a supportive public. They had looked at best practice in different cities and had set out ten goals in 2008. These included an international city waterfront, new markets and prosperity, health and well-being as well as master planning. They wanted to create a new skyline for Wirral. He compared the height of the planned Peel buildings with other well-known tall buildings from around the world, stating it was going to be a similar height to the London Eye.

Economy and Regeneration Overview and Scrutiny Committee 16/1/2011 Part 2 Peel presentation on Wirral Waters (johnbrace.com)

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